For Those Of You With Money To Spend - A Different Kind Of Strat

[ellengtrgrl]

I ran into this, while surfing YouTube a short time ago. It looks like Fender's Custom Shop released it for sale within the past few days:

Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition Robbie Robertson Last Waltz Stratocaster

Basically it is a recreation of the '54 Strat Robbie Robertson of The Band,played in The Band's last show, that Martin Scorsese filmed as "The Last Waltz". When Robbie Robertson sent it to Fender to have some work done to it (before the last Band Show), the body was (literally) bronzed. F.Y.I - that is not a humbucker in the bridge position, when Fender worked on the original guitar, the middle pickup was moved down next to the bridge pickup, and the wiring changed, for different tonal options. List price for the guitar is $14,500. This recreation has the same wiring as Robbie's guitar, and body has also been bronzed (just like the original guitar).

Fender's YouTube video, with some addtional info., and Robbie playing the reissue.

 

[Rick 381]

Heavy metal.

 

[Flamencology]

Humbucker ruins it for me. Maybe I'll buy one for Howie.

 

[wagdog]

That bronze coating would not allow the tonewood to breath. /tgp

I dig the guitar, at about $800.

 

[DFB]

That bronze coating would not allow the tonewood to breath. /tgp

I dig the guitar, at about $800.

No Strat should cost more than $800.

 

[Tiltsta]

I think it looks really cool. I don't care about The Band or Robertson, so I'd never pay for the artist model premium. So, I like the look, but I don't like it for 14,500. I don't even like it for 1,450.

 

[Dogsinplastic]

I've always loved that guitar. I would never pay that much for one...or even a quarter of the price...or 1/5, despite it being a custom shop. I really liked and meant to buy one of the copper finished '52 reissue Teles. That on a similarly configured Strat would be cool as. A production model for the regular artist model prices. That said, I'd rather have the Tele.

 

[gtrjunior]

Humbucker ruins it for me. Maybe I'll buy one for Howie.

It's not a humbucker according to the text. It's the middle pickup re-located. Doesn't make all that much sense to me either....

 

[Cool Earl]

looks like a poorly executed kit guitar. do not want.

 

[Guitar Heel]

Love that show, did not love that guitar. I've always wondered where RR's head was at for bronzing a 54.

 

[GilmourD]

It's not a humbucker according to the text. It's the middle pickup re-located. Doesn't make all that much sense to me either....

It's wired in series from what I gather, but I could be wrong on that.

 

[Coralkong]

Not the strat I'm looking for.

 

[Lerxst]

It's not a humbucker according to the text. It's the middle pickup re-located. Doesn't make all that much sense to me either....

In the vid Robertson said that he used to always catch on the middle pickup & he wanted a warmer bridge tone so he moved it back next to the bridge pickup. Krause mentions it's got a 3 way switch to do neck<>all pickups<>two bridge pickups

 

[gtrjunior]

In the vid Robertson said that he used to always catch on the middle pickup & he wanted a warmer bridge tone so he moved it back next to the bridge pickup. Krause mentions it's got a 3 way switch to do neck<>all pickups<>two bridge pickups

That would still make it 2 single coils...no? Unless they are wired together like a bucker it should be 2 SC located next to each other. (?)

 

[gtrjunior]

It's wired in series from what I gather, but I could be wrong on that.

I didn't watch the video so maybe I missed something but the next to last paragraph mentions that it's not a humbucker and that it's the middle SC relocated.
It does mention that the wiring was changed but not how it was changed (in the text anyway)

 

[Lerxst]

That would still make it 2 single coils...no? Unless they are wired together like a bucker it should be 2 SC located next to each other. (?)

yes, I was clarifying what was in the vid not contradicting you

 

[gtrjunior]

yes, I was clarifying what was in the vid not contradicting you

So I just googled some info on humbucker wiring. I guess a standard bucker is in fact wired in series...I would suppose if this guitar has those pups wired in series it, in essence would function as a humbucker....

 

[Lerxst]

So I just googled some info on humbucker wiring. I guess a standard bucker is in fact wired in series...I would suppose if this guitar has those pups wired in series it, in essence would function as a humbucker....

Krause mentioned it's wired like a P-bass pickup. I'm not very familiar w/ p-bass wiring but IIRC the pickups are wired in series. Given that Robertson wanted a 'fuller tone w/ more output', that'd make sense.

 

[Honkridge]

In that movie RR's hair was dreamy

 

[Knox in Box]

So I just googled some info on humbucker wiring. I guess a standard bucker is in fact wired in series...I would suppose if this guitar has those pups wired in series it, in essence would function as a humbucker....

It would work like a humbucker in parallel mode. Like Howie likes them rather than split. At least I think it was him.

Edit:
Duhhhh....
Misread

Nevermind